Vehicle-tire.



H. H; DURR.

VEHICLE TIRE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1911.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

HENRY El. BUR/1t, 0F SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

VEHIGLEJEIEEE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 2?, 1912.

Application filed March 29, 1911. Serial No. 617,748.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern I Be ithnown that I, HENRY H. Donn, .acitizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county ofClark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Vehicle-'llires, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompany,

in}; drawing.

This invention relates to vehicle tires and more particularly tosectional tires for use on power driven trucks.

The object of the invention is to provide a tire of this characterhaving the sections or blocks entirely separate andinterchangeable andhaving fastening devices which will securely fasten the blocks to therim of the wheel, which will permit any one of the blocks to be removedwithout disturbing or loosening more than one other block, and whichwill permit the ends of adjacent sections to be spaced apart minimumdistances.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a wheel equipped with my invention and showing the rim and tire insection; Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the same on the linea: m of Fig. i and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is adetail view of one end of one of the blocks; and Fig. 4. is a detailview of one of the cross bars.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention andhave shown the same as applied to a wheel of ordinary constructionhaving a rim 1 on which is mounted the usual channel iron 2 to receivethe tire and hold the-same against lateral displacement. Mounted in thechannel iron 2 are a seriesof tire sections or blocks 3 which may beformed of rubber composition or any suitable material. These blocks areformed separate one from the other and have their ends spaced apartsubstantially equal distances throughout their entire area, that is,they are not provided with projections or flanges of the material of theblock to cooperate with clamping devices to secure the same to the rim.Suitable fastening de vices are rigidly secured to the channel ironbetween the ends of adjacent blocks and these ends of the blocks arethen secured to the fastening devices in such a manner as to effectuallyprevent any movement of the block relatively to the rim The character ofthese fastening devices is such as to permitthe ends of adiacent blocksto be spaced apart minimum distances. Preferably, the. fastening devicescomprise cross bars 4 of a length and height approximately equal to thewidth and depth of the channel iron. Each cross bar is provided with twoor more bolt holes, as indicated at 5, to receive bolts 6, by means ofwhich they are secured to the channel 2- in the rim 1. In the present instance I have shown the cross bars as having five bolt holes. rim onlytwo, or possibly three, of these holes will be utilized, but. byproviding this number of holes arranged in the manner shown, any crossbar can be secured to the rim at any point regardless of whether or notthe point of connection is. between spokes or in alinement with a spoke.Each cross bar has formed in each side thereof a plurality of recesses 7to receive high or proiections 8 secured to the blocks. These lugs maybe of any suitable character and may be secured to the'blocks in anymanner which will have the requisite amount of strength, but I have hereshown one manner of providing the lugs which I have found highlye'liicient. Each block is provided with a series of longitudinalapertures extending entirely through the same. as indicated at 9, and,in these apertures, I have mounted wires or rods 10 which fit snuglytherein and are of a length greater than the blocks, thus causing theends of the wires to project beyond the corresponding ends of the blocksand form the lugs or projections 8 which enter the recesses 7 of thecross bar. The recesses in the cross bars are preferably provided withstops to prevent any creeping of the wires 10, that is, any longitudinalmovement thereof relatively to the blocks. As here shown thecorresponding apertures in the opposite sides of the cross bars arearranged in alinement, but each aperture is of a depth slightly lessthan half the width of the bar, thus forming between the two recesses athin partition 11 which forms a stop to prevent any longitudinalmovement of the wire relatively to the bar. The aper-. tures in whichthe wires are mounted are In securing the bar to the v preferably formednear the bases of the wires and the walls of the apertures and little orno tendency of the apertures to become enlarged.

It will be noted that each section or block of the tire is secured tothe rim at'each end by a separate fastening device and that thisfastening device is connected with but one other block of the tire. Itwill be obvious, therefore, that should any block become worn and shouldit for any reason be desirable to remove the same it is only necessaryto loosen the bolts 6 of the cross bar at one end of the block and movethe bar and the ends of the blocks upward until the projections carriedby. the blocks can be disengaged from the bar. It is then possible toremove the defective block, substitute another therefor and quicklyreturn bot-h blocks to their positions on the rim and firmly secure thesame thereon. The cross bars also materially facilitate the assemblingof the tire in much the same manner as they make it possible to removethe individual blocks thereof. By bolting alternate cross bars to therim the tire can be very quickly assembled by inserting the projectionsat opposite ends of two blocks in the apertures of such alternate crossbars, placing the intermediate cross bar between the adjacent ends ofsaid blocks, moving the blocks into position on the rim and bolting thecross bar to the rim. It will also be noted that the cross bars are of acomparatively narrow width and permit the ends of adjacent sections tobe arranged comparatively close together, avoiding the wide spacesbetween the blocks frequently found in sectional tires.

practically continuous tire, the spaces between the sections being verysmall; which will permit of the ready removal and replacing of any ofthe sections without disturbing or loosening more than one othersection; which will permit the blocks to be staggered when applied todual wheels; and which is of a very strong durable character.

While I have illustrated one form of my invention by means of whichthese results are attained I wish it to be understood that I do notdesire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described,for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secureby Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a wheel rim, and a channel iron secured. thereto,of a plurality of blocks mounted in said channel iron and spaced onefrom another, each of said blocks having its end'surface substantiallyflat and arranged at substantially right angles to 'said rim, aplurality of longitudinal wires mounted in each of said blocks andextendingbeyond the opposite ends thereof, cross bars, of a lengthand-height approximately equal to the width and depth, respectively,

of said channel, mounted in said channel besaid bars having alongitudinally arranged series of radial apertures extending through thesame, and a plurality of bolts extending through each of said bars andthrough said channel iron and said rim, saidbolts being less in numberthan said apertures and each bolt being adapted to eXtend through anyone of said apertures.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY H. DUB-R. Witnesses:

. E. O. HAGAN,

HARRIET L. HAMMAKER.

